About Us

The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) is a schools association with around 650 of the world’s leading prep schools in membership.

Schools must reach a very high standard to be eligible for membership, with strict criteria on teaching a broad curriculum, maintaining excellent standards of pastoral care and keeping staff members’ professional development training up to date.

Although each of our schools is independent, and has its own ethos, they are all committed to delivering an excellent, well-rounded education to the pupils in their care.

We believe that schools should be unfettered by government interference and with fewer financial and other resourcing constraints than state schools, to ensure that their educational provision is tailored to the needs of the individual children.

Courses & Conferences

IAPS offers a successful and reputable programme of professional development courses and conferences which are available for all staff in our member schools. Our courses are designed to cover the most important and current issues facing Independent Prep Schools. Together with our subject courses, we are offering new courses which include Pay Restructure, Reasonable Adjustments, Safer Recruiting and Safeguarding. This year we are working together with Dragonfly Training, Independent Thinking Ltd, AMDIS, AGBIS, The Priory Group and ISC to deliver a diverse and comprehensive training programme.

ISC SEND Conference 2017

Schools

Modern prep schools offer a superb standard of education for pupils, balancing traditional values with cutting edge teaching and learning. Far from the traditional cliché of old-fashioned uniforms, rigid discipline and academic rigour, one of the key strengths of IAPS is the wide variety of schools within its membership.

Whether you are looking for a single-sex or co-ed school, day or boarding, one with a particular religious affiliation or one that provides special educational provision and facilities, there is an IAPS school for you.

Jobs

A career in an IAPS-accredited school means the opportunity to work in an environment with all the usual plusses of an independent prep school, in terms of remuneration, resources, freedom for management to plan the curriculum with minimal government interference, plus an additional layer of quality assurance by virtue of the accreditation process.